The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-22
Georgia's Convict system.

/ The convict system will doubtless occupy a
large share of the attention of the Legislature
at itssession next month. The report that two
convicts Were shot at Oglethorpe camp ON
June D, because they refused to work on
Sunday and attempted to escape, should be
thoroughly investigated, and if found TO he
true the contract of the lessee should be can
! celled. There is no law which permits a
lessee to compel convicts to work on Sum-
days, and there is, therefore, no excuse for
shooting convicts who attempt to escape be-
cause they are forced to work on those DAVIS
There Is an impression in Georgia that the
convicts in this State are very kindly
treated, and that the laws for their protec-
ton in camps are complied with. If this
story OF tragedy at Oglethorpe camp is
true, however, this impression will undergo
speedy change, and the demand for the
termination of the lease system, or at least
marked modification of the laws relating
to it, will become much more imperative
than it has heretofore been. Doubtless one
OF the reasons why the Legislature has been
so slow in legislating for the convicts is the
belief that they are being about as well
treated under the lease system as thew
would be under any other, but if evidence
Is forthcoming that they are being whipped
and shot without sufficient cause. and that
they are being brutalized in ways that are
known to heartless taskmasters and pitt
less guards it cannot act too promptly.
OF course it will not do to assume that
this Oglethorpe story is true, or that in
other camps the convicts are inhumanlv
treated. The lessees should have a chance
to meet whatever charges are brought
against them, but they should be shown no
special consideration. They have every ad-
vantage in defending themselves, and the
convicts have no one to present their side of
the case. The Governor, it is true, is ready
to act theoretically when he is assured that
there is necessity for action on his part, but
it is not an easy matter for him to get at the
truth respecting the actual state of affairs
in the convict camps
The special committee of the House which
is now engaged in investigating
the convict system and its alleged
abuses, should make every effort
to get at the bottom facts. The people of
this State, while they want violators of the
law punished, do not want them subjected
to cruelties of any sort. They want them
cared for in accordance with the humane
laws which have been enacted for their pro-
lection. 1t seems that some of the members
OF the special committee have visited the
camps without making known their official
character, and have gathered some infor-
nation that win be valuable
in aiding the committee in
framing its scport to the Legislature. They
were induced to take this course, doubtless,
by the belief that if it were known that they
were members of an investigating commit
tee the true condition of affairs at the camps
would be hidden from them. The convicts,
in the presence of their guards, would be
afraid to make complaints of abuses, and
they would be terrorized to such an extent
that they would make statements showing
their treatment to be satisfactory
Let us have the whole truth respecting
the convict business, and if it is found that
the. lease system is bad one, and that it
tends to make convicts more hardened than
they are, let some other system be substl-
tuted for 1t. 1t is difficult, it is true, to find
system TO which there are not serious OBJ
jections, but doubtless it is possible to devise
one that will tend to reform convicts which
are capable of being reformed and will not
make the hardened criminals worse than
they are